UK government provides £43 million boost for green aviation

Photo: U.K. Department for Transport

The aviation industry is set for a major boost as £43 million (USD$57.8 million) for green projects was announced by the U.K. government Jan. 20, supporting jobs and unlocking new investment. 

The major investment comes as the government drives forward plans for expansion at Heathrow, Gatwick and Luton airports and the transport secretary was scheduled to chair a meeting Jan. 20 with prominent airlines, airports, innovators and engineering firms to discuss how cutting-edge technology will decarbonize the sector while delivering growth. 

With the production of low-carbon fuels alone expected to add up to £5 billion (USD$6.72 billion) to the economy by 2050, the funding will drive millions of pounds of private investment into the aviation sector, supporting skilled jobs in technology development and scientific research and funding projects to slash emissions from aviation. 

Businesses, researchers and universities across the U.K. will be invited to bid for their share of the £43 million, with competitions launching from February to allocate the funding.  

The funding will go towards research and development projects that help to deliver net-zero aviation by 2050. 

“We’re backing U.K. businesses by powering up green aviation,” said Heidi Alexander, the U.K.’s transport secretary. “Our £43 million investment will deliver the cutting-edge technology of the future, grow the economy and support highly skilled jobs as part of our mission to deliver national renewal. Zero-emission aircraft, hydrogen fuels and other emerging technologies are vital to reduce the climate impacts from flying and will enable us to deliver our airport-expansion plans to boost connectivity and grow the economy.”  

The technologies that will be developed with this funding, such as clean fuels and zero-emission aircraft, will play an important role in delivering on the government’s vision to expand airports in line with climate targets by decarbonizing aviation and improving air quality. 

The investment could also be used for a trial to understand how contrails—condensation trails produced from aircraft exhausts that can contribute to global warming—could be avoided. 

The Civil Aviation Authority will develop regulations required for the widespread use of hydrogen fuel through this investment—including support for pioneering companies and universities that are preparing for new zero-carbon technology. 

To further what the government said is U.K.’s “world-leading reputation” on green aviation, some of this funding will support the use and tracking of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in regions like Africa and the Caribbean and improve their participation in schemes that offset global aviation emissions. 

This will ensure U.K. airlines are not at a financial disadvantage to airlines based in low-income countries, which can avoid the costs associated with carbon offsetting because they do not have the required tracking and implementation tools. 

In further support for the sector, the SAF bill, coming into force later this year, will provide long-term certainty for the SAF market by guaranteeing a set price for U.K. producers, helping the U.K. meet its climate targets. 

This is backed by an additional £63 million (USD$84.7 million) to accelerate new SAF production plants, alongside £2.3 billion (USD$3.09 billion) through the Aerospace Technology Institute program over the next decade to support cutting-edge aerospace innovation and thousands of highly skilled jobs. 

“The funding for green-aviation projects announced today will help ensure the U.K. leads the future of flight,” stated the Hydrogen in Aviation Alliance. “Hydrogen-powered aviation is at the heart of this ambition and is essential to decarbonizing aviation while ensuring the sustainable growth of our industry. We welcome the government’s support for pioneering businesses developing zero-emission aviation technologies, alongside its commitment to enabling the Civil Aviation Authority to put in place the right regulations for the use of hydrogen fuel. These are important steps on the journey to making hydrogen-powered flight a reality and securing a competitive, sustainable future for U.K. Aviation.”

Duncan McCourt, the chief executive of Sustainable Aviation, said, “We know that aviation is one of the most challenging sectors to decarbonize and, as we continue on the road to net zero by 2050, industry action combined with government investment are required. This funding will help turn ambition into operational reality across key decarbonization pathways, helping to deliver carbon-neutral skies.”  

Tim Alderslade, the chief executive of Airlines UK, said, “Today’s investment in zero- and lower-emission technology is playing an important part in delivering a sustainable future for U.K. aviation, a process well underway with the launch last year of the SAF mandate and imminent passage of the SAF revenue-certainty mechanism into law. The ongoing work of the Jet Zero Taskforce, bringing government, industry and experts together to drive progress, is a critical part of our collective efforts to ensure net zero remains a reality for our sector.”